Schauer Group

What Schauer Group does

Schauer Group is a fourth-generation, family-owned independent insurance agency founded in 1919 in Canton, Ohio, and operating today as Schauer Group, Inc. from four offices across Northeast Ohio (Canton headquarters, Cleveland at U.S. Bank Centre / Playhouse Square, Akron at Bounce Innovation Hub, and Alliance at KeyBank). The firm delivers full-service risk management and insurance brokerage across business insurance (property and casualty), employee benefits, contract and corporate surety, personal insurance, and human capital services, plus standalone risk management consulting. It is positioned as "the Nation's First ISO Registered Independent Insurance Agency," having first achieved ISO 9001 registration in 1998 and now operating under ISO 9001:2015 certification.

The company's core business model is commission-based brokerage revenue complemented by risk-management advisory fees, with pricing quote-based on client risk profiles and coverage needs rather than published tiers. Distribution is direct and relationship-driven: a team of licensed advisors (many holding CPCU, ARM, and CISR designations) engages mid-market clients consultatively, supported by Applied Epic Online agency management software with commercial lines download, a client portal for documents and certificate management, electronic document delivery, and digital payment through Applied Pay. Schauer maintains access to 40+ top-rated P&C carriers and a deepened surety partnership with Westfield Insurance.

Schauer Group's customer base is concentrated in middle-market businesses across manufacturing (with Belden Brick Company as a named enterprise reference), healthcare, nonprofit organizations, and construction/contractors requiring surety bonding. Reported client outcomes include a 95% client retention rate and seven consecutive years of double-digit growth, with no acquisitions, mergers, or external capital involvement on record. The firm operates as a private, family-controlled company under the Schauer family, with fourth-generation leadership installed in February 2021 (Joseph D. Schauer as President & CEO).

Name

Schauer Group

Legal name

Schauer Group, Inc.

Website

https://schauergroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Schauer Group is a fourth-generation, family-owned independent insurance agency founded in 1919 in Canton, Ohio, delivering risk management, business insurance, employee benefits, surety, and personal insurance to middle-market manufacturing, healthcare, nonprofit, and construction clients across Northeast Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Canton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Insurance Commission Revenue: Commissions earned from placing insurance policies with carrier partners across property & casualty, employee benefits, and surety lines
2. Risk Management Consulting: Advisory fees for risk management consulting services including risk assessment, program design, and ongoing risk mitigation guidance

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Schauer Group is a full-service independent insurance agency and risk management advisory firm that places commercial and personal insurance coverage, designs employee benefit programs, and provides contract and corporate surety bonds for clients across the United States. The firm combines insurance brokerage with consulting-led risk assessment, claims advocacy, and ongoing risk mitigation guidance, positioning itself as an extension of the client's leadership team.

Product overview

Schauer Group offers a unified suite of risk management and insurance advisory services. The core portfolio includes Risk Management & Consulting, Business Insurance, Employee Benefits, Surety, and Personal Insurance services, supported by digital service portals (Client Portal, Certificate Management Portal, Cyber Portal). The firm operates as a full-service independent insurance agency with a consultative approach, positioning itself as an extension of clients' leadership teams. The company also provides specialized Human Capital Services. All services are delivered through offices in Northeast Ohio (Canton, Cleveland, Akron, Alliance) with a focus on the construction, manufacturing, nonprofit, and healthcare industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Risk Management & Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% client retention rate
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Insurance Carrier PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchauer Group works with more than 40 of the top-rated property and casualty insurance companies in the nation, providing access to insurance markets and coverage options for clients across various industries including manufacturing, healthcare, and construction.
• Westfield InsurancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Westfield Insurance for surety bond placement. Jennifer Odom serves as Regional Surety Leader for Westfield's Ohio team, working with agencies in northern Ohio to develop and grow surety programs for contractor clients.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hylant: Ohio-based independent insurance brokerage with national reach, specializing in commercial insurance, risk management, and employee benefits for middle-market and enterprise clients — directly comparable to Schauer Group in service mix, client segment, and regional origin.
• Oswald Companies: Cleveland-headquartered independent insurance brokerage and risk management firm serving middle-market clients across the Midwest — comparable to Schauer in geography, vertical focus, and full-service brokerage model.
• The Fedeli Group: Independence, Ohio-based independent insurance and risk management agency serving mid-market commercial clients — directly comparable to Schauer Group in size, regional footprint, and consultative brokerage approach.
• Hilb Group: PE-backed insurance brokerage consolidator acquiring independent agencies across the U.S. — comparable in business model (independent agency) and represents both a competitive threat and a potential acquirer of Schauer Group.
• TrueNorth Companies: Midwest-headquartered independent insurance, risk management, and employee benefits firm serving middle-market clients — comparable to Schauer in service breadth, vertical focus (construction, manufacturing), and mid-market positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. One of the largest global insurance brokerage and risk management firms with deep middle-market and enterprise presence — competes with Schauer for larger accounts and represents the consolidated incumbent that smaller independents must differentiate against.
• Marsh McLennan: Global leader in insurance brokerage and risk advisory serving large enterprise and middle-market clients — represents the broader incumbent competitor that defines the bar for service breadth, technology investment, and carrier access.
• Brown & Brown, Inc. Large national insurance brokerage built largely through acquisitions of independent agencies — comparable in target client profile and represents both an acquirer and a scaled competitor.
• Aon plc: Global professional services firm offering insurance brokerage, risk management, and HR consulting — broader incumbent that overlaps with Schauer's commercial insurance and risk advisory offerings at the upper end of the middle market.

Emerging players

• Acrisure: Fast-growing, PE-backed insurance brokerage and fintech platform built through aggressive roll-up of independent agencies — emerging challenger that competes for talent and clients while serving as a potential consolidator of independents like Schauer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schauer-group

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Schauer Group